[lazy]

Congrats sbraj.

D90 is nice.

Got mine from Jayesh 4 weeks ago, same story - diff beween gray and bw was 3k only. Got the bw one.

Originally Posted by sbraj

...
I picked up my D90 today.
.....

[HellwratH]

Originally Posted by rocky080

Hello camera guru's i have canon 500d and need help deciding on a good tele photo lens under a budget of 60k. I already have a canon 55-250 IS. But i am interested in wildlife photography for which 55-250 seemed a bit inadequate on my last trip. any suggestions are welcome thanks in advance.

Umm, brands? Buying it from here or the US?

I am a prime lover, so I'd say 400mm f5.6. Amazing lens at the price offering. Or if you love zooms, you can go for 100-400L (not sure if that'll be in your budget). If you're looking at Sigma, there are quite a few. Sigma 50-500 OS, 150-500 OS, 50-500 non OS. They should all be well within your budget.

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by rbp

@sbraj :- I saw you today at Jayesh's shop, I was just standing next to you, waiting to buy a Grad ND Filter, you purchased a great piece of equipment buddy, congratulations.

Oh, we missed a TBHP mini meet there.

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

Even I am thinking of buying either Canon 550D or Nikon D90.

Disclaimer - these is just my purchase experience. It is not intended to offend anyone.

Ravi,
I suggest you go to the dealers for both Canon, Nikon and experience the cameras yourself, in person. I had almost made up my mind to buy 550D. Out of curiosity, I went to Whizz in Garuda Mall (Nikon dealer) to see D90. I felt much more comfortable holding D90 in my hand. I think the decision was made then and there. I went to the Canon lounge again, but 550D did not appeal to me anymore.

Best way is to experience the cameras side by side. Not sure whether there is any dealer in Bangalore who can demo both.

BTW, at Jayesh's place, you would not get any chance of demo or such things. I did all the homework at Whizz & Canon lounge. Then kept SMSing Jayesh for price fluctuations of D90 before the final purchase.

[rocky080]

Originally Posted by HellwratH

Umm, brands? Buying it from here or the US?

I am a prime lover, so I'd say 400mm f5.6. Amazing lens at the price offering. Or if you love zooms, you can go for 100-400L (not sure if that'll be in your budget). If you're looking at Sigma, there are quite a few. Sigma 50-500 OS, 150-500 OS, 50-500 non OS. They should all be well within your budget.

Thanks for the suggestion.I am not brand conscious, anything that's good quality and vfm .I am buying it here in bangalore. Are the sigma lenses good. I read in some online review that the sigma lenses tend to blur at very high zoom around 350mm or so. Also which would be better tamron 100-400 or sigma 100-400.

[HellwratH]

Originally Posted by rocky080

Thanks for the suggestion.I am not brand conscious, anything that's good quality and vfm .I am buying it here in bangalore. Are the sigma lenses good. I read in some online review that the sigma lenses tend to blur at very high zoom around 350mm or so. Also which would be better tamron 100-400 or sigma 100-400.

Do tamron and sigma even have those lenses? I am not sure about that. If I were you (and purely a personal opinion) I would have gone for the 400mm f5.6 or would have bought 300mm F4 L IS with a 1.4x tele converter. And I am OK buying used lenses and I see some very good offers for these lenses on BPC and JJMPF.

[rocky080]

Originally Posted by HellwratH

Do tamron and sigma even have those lenses? I am not sure about that. If I were you (and purely a personal opinion) I would have gone for the 400mm f5.6 or would have bought 300mm F4 L IS with a 1.4x tele converter. And I am OK buying used lenses and I see some very good offers for these lenses on BPC and JJMPF.

Thanks for the suggestion will look at this option as well. I also wanted to know is the tamron xxx-xxxmm canon mount(says so on the tamron website) a direct fit on any canon or do i need something extra like a adapter or so for my 500d.

Originally Posted by sbraj

Ravi,
I suggest you go to the dealers for both Canon, Nikon and experience the cameras yourself, in person. I had almost made up my mind to buy 550D. Out of curiosity, I went to Whizz in Garuda Mall (Nikon dealer) to see D90. I felt much more comfortable holding D90 in my hand. I think the decision was made then and there. I went to the Canon lounge again, but 550D did not appeal to me anymore.

At the duty-free shops in Changi Airport, Singapore, Canon 550d with 18 - 135 mm IS lens kit costs S$1681 [INR 57,154 - free of GST]. I had a demo there. In Australia the same kit costs A$ 1319 [INR 52,760 - free of GST]. But, the catch is while in Singapore, they give international warranty of 1 year for lens only, for body, it is local warranty. In Australia, it is only local warranty for the entire kit. Canon India's RRP is INR 71,995, of course, with Canon India warranty for two years. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

At the duty-free shops in Changi Airport, Singapore, Canon 550d with 18 - 135 mm IS lens kit costs S$1681 [INR 57,154 - free of GST]. I had a demo there. In Australia the same kit costs A$ 1319 [INR 52,760 - free of GST]. But, the catch is while in Singapore, they give international warranty of 1 year for lens only, for body, it is local warranty. In Australia, it is only local warranty for the entire kit. Canon India's RRP is INR 71,995, of course, with Canon India warranty for two years. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Buy it in Australia then,You can buy a 50 mm 1.8 for the price difference.
AFAIK the kit lens also carries only local warranty.
Airport duty free are big rip off. Among big airports Incheon Seoul is most VFM where as HK is a total ripoff , Changi is somewhere in middle.

[rbp]

Any idea how much the Nikon service center will charge for cleaning the sensor?

Originally Posted by amitk26

Buy it in Australia then,You can buy a 50 mm 1.8 for the price difference.

Thanks a lot, amitk26, for kind suggestion. I will have to wait for a few more weeks, as my purchase within 1 month prior to departure only would be eligible for GST waiver. But, I am dithering: is it okay to buy this kit without warranty?

[HellwratH]

Originally Posted by rocky080

Thanks for the suggestion will look at this option as well. I also wanted to know is the tamron xxx-xxxmm canon mount(says so on the tamron website) a direct fit on any canon or do i need something extra like a adapter or so for my 500d.

If you buy a canon mount tamron lens, it will be a direct fit. You wouldn't need an extra adapter for it.

[anshurao]

Hi Guys,

I see small spots on my Lens, not sure if it's Fungus or dust. It's from the inside so cant clean it as well. I was thinking of getting the lens and camera serviced at Canon Bangalore. This would be the first time I'll be sending my equipment for service, please suggest if it's recommended. It's a Canon 40D and 100-400 setup that requires the cleaning.

Thanks

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by HellwratH

..... If I were you (and purely a personal opinion) I would have gone for the 400mm f5.6 or would have bought 300mm F4 L IS with a 1.4x tele converter. ....

ah! just as Bob Atkins recommends!!!
Telephoto Lenses for Canon EOS Cameras

With the above combination you have a upto 300mm f4(by walking backwards whenever possible!!) and a 420mm f5.6 (in your budget??)

PS: Prime means no compromise on the optics at its price range!!

[HellwratH]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

ah! just as Bob Atkins recommends!!!
Telephoto Lenses for Canon EOS Cameras

With the above combination you have a upto 300mm f4(by walking backwards whenever possible!!) and a 420mm f5.6 (in your budget??)

PS: Prime means no compromise on the optics at its price range!!

Thank you for the link, I had not read that article by Bob. Anyways, I started off with the basic kit lens and IQ was much better than my P&S but there was something missing (like the pop). Next buy was a 50mm f1.8, and I was blown. From that point on, I have added only primes to my collection and the only zoom so far is the 18-55 lens. Can't sell it as no one will buy it . I even have a Sigma 600mm f8 mirror lens that I intend to sell soon, let's see how that goes. I have been eyeing the 400mm f5.6 myself, but the other options like 300 f4 L IS + 1.4x tele con also makes sense and then 200mm f/2.8L + 2x also "might" make sense . The options are kind of limitless when it comes to telephotos in Canon.

[clevermax]

This is innovative!

The patent is all about varying exposure on a pixel to pixel basis to create stunning HDR images in a single click!

Canon's In-Camera HDR Patent Will Let You Take Pictures Like This

Canon In-Camera HDR Maps Single Exposure to Individual Pixels Photography Bay | Digital Camera Reviews, News and Resources

So far the in camera HDR option was more or less a pseudo HDR creation. This is available in cameras like Sony A550.

Nikon, what yummy feature are you planning to come up with? Whatever it is, consumers will benefit from such competition.